Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiAugust 14, 2015

Finance Committee Chair Bill Gulliford removed his prop bottle of Advil from his desk before the Friday session. Perhaps that was too optimistic a move. The Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee budget hearings on Friday morning started off with interesting exchanges between Sam Mousa and John Crescimbeni about Fire and Rescue structural issues, before going into a discussion of […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 13, 2015

Two budget reviews from the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee to go on Thursday. The firs, and the most important: the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. 2:39 p.m.: John Crescimbeni mentions that more than 15 COPS Grant employees not being part of the General Fund as not being “transparent” in terms of budgeting. Bill Gulliford predicts that after three years, […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 13, 2015

The Thursday afternoon Jacksonville City Council Budget Review began, as the council auditor presentation continued with a lively discussion of public service grants. The morning session is here. 1:20: Councilman Tommy Hazouri is annoyed by a lack of clarity on these from Rashanda Jackson, chairwoman of the Public Service Grant Council. John Crescimbeni goes on to outline a […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 13, 2015

The Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee Budget Hearing Day One commenced with the administration overview, then a bracing 165-minute romp through capital improvement projects with Council Auditor Kirk Sherman. As the old song goes, “Let’s get this party started right; let’s get this party started quickly.” Overall, it was a very smooth session, with minor […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2015

As the new Jacksonville City Council settles in and bills wend their way through committees, Jacksonville City Council meetings haven’t truly heated up as they will during September’s budget deliberations. However, Jacksonville’s City Council is always a hotbed of entertainment and public interest, and Tuesday evening’s Council conclave was no exception. The Hemming Park funding […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 30, 2015

In the immortal words of Wyclef Jean, the Jacksonville City Council Special Committee on Capital Improvement Projects is “gone ’til November.” However, it did have one final meeting (aside from an expected cameo during August’s Finance Committee budget hearings) on Wednesday afternoon. Many fascinating topics were covered at the meeting, which included, at least for part […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 29, 2015

Jacksonville’s Special Committee on the JEA Agreement doesn’t exactly grab the headlines. However, to those living in Jacksonville and subject to mandatory sewage, water, and power service from the public utility, the relationship between Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Electric Authority bears watching, as Florida Politics did during their Tuesday afternoon meeting. The meeting agenda identified […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 28, 2015

On Monday evening, an email went out from the Jacksonville Office of General Counsel regarding draft legislation that would help preserve city funding for the Friends of Hemming Park. In the email, John Sawyer of the OGC office wrote, “The First Amendment itself makes one revision to the base contract, which is to amend the […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 22, 2015

Optimism is the watchword at the St. James Building these days. You hear it from people on the outside, such as Jax Chamber Chairman Daniel Davis, who sent Curry a note this week that said it all: “Really glad that you are my mayor.” Spoiler alert: Don’t look for any drama when the Chamber gets […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 20, 2015

It was on. Then it was off. And now it’s back on. The endless summer of trying to get a medical marijuana moratorium passed in Duval County continues Tuesday, with two committees, Rules and Land Use and Zoning, taking a hard look at Ordinance 2015-485, which would issue “a temporary moratorium on locating Cultivation and […]

Tag: Bill Gulliford
Lake Mary’s team celebrates in the eighth inning of the Little League World Series Championship game against Taiwan. Florida won in eight innings 2-1. Image via AP.

Fireworks at Friday morning Jax Council budget hearings

Jax City Council Budget Review: Sheriff’s Office

Jacksonville Council budget review: Public Service Grants

Jax Council budget review morning session addresses UF Health, other issues

Jax City Council approves Hemming Park deal 18-1

Jax CIP committee, Curry administration debate semantics, capital, reserves

JEA and COJ: at “cross purposes and cross goals”?

Emergency legislation for Jax Hemming Park funding pending

Garrett Dennis takes over Jax Council Blight Committee, changes name to NICE Committee

Medical cannabis on table in Jax Council committees Tuesday